Safety electrical-circuit breaker.



W. F. WOOHER, R. L. LEMON & L. H. MORTSOLP. SAFETY ELEOTRIGAL CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED 1 313.19. 1908. v 9%2Q654. Patented May 25, 1909.

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1 I WITNESSES: 26 13 INVENTO; 5 a 24 29 W. 1-. WOGHER, R. L. LEMON & L. H; MORTSOLF SAFETY ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.19.'1908.

9%%,6543 Patented May 25, 1909. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 f 10. Zr i1.

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WILLIAM F. WOCHER, ROBERT L. LEMON, AND LOUIS H. MORTSOLF, OF INDIANAPOLIS,v INDIANA.

SAFETY. ELECTRICAL-CIRCUIT BREAKER.

Application filed February 19, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, YVILLIAM F. VOCHER, ROBERT L. LEMON, and Lotus H. MORTsOLF, citizens of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Electrical-Circuit Breakers; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to devices for either making or breaking electrical circuits and has reference particularly to devices whereby electrical circuits may be broken and ineans whereby the devices may be securely locked to prevent unauthorized persons from connecting the circuits, the circuit breaker be ing adapted particularly for use on automobiles of various kinds that depend on an electrical circuit in order to operate machinery for propulsion.

The'objects of the invention are to provide a safetyelectrical circuit breaker adapted to be used for connecting electrical circuits for various purposes when it may be desired to break the circuit and instantly lock the circuit-breaker to prevent unauthorized persons from restoring the circuit; and to provide a safety electrical circuit breaker adapted to be used on automobiles or similar vehicles to prevent unauthorized persons from using the vehicles, especially when vehicles may be left standing by their owners in the streets.

The invention consists in a circuit breaker provided with an automatic lock for securing the breaker when disconnected from the electrical circuit. And the invention consists further in the novel parts and combinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter particularly described and defined in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electric automobile; Fig. 2, a front elevation of the improved circuit breaker; Fig. 3, a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing a portion of the automobile body and illustrating the invention in connect-ion therewith; Fig. 4, a fragmentary view showing a portion of the vehicle body Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1909*.

Serial N0. 416,729.

and the housing of the circuit breaker connected thereto Fig. 5, a fragmentary view of the body showing thecircuit breaker in side elevation connected thereto; Fig. 6, an in verted plan view of the circuit breaker; Fig.

7, a vertical sectional view of the circuit breaker on the line A A in Fig. 2; Fig. 8, an inverted plan view of the circuit breaker with a portion of the housing thereof omitted to expose the internal mechanism; Fig. 9, a perspective view of the movable connector or circuit breaker forming a part of the devices shown in the preceding figures; Fig. 10, a fragmentary perspective view of an automobile body of the type of. vehicle in which'explosive engines are employed, and showing the improved circuit breaker as applied thereto with respect to the sparking circuit; Fig. 11, a fragmentary plan of the automobile frame and machinery illustrating the manner of connecting the invention therewith; Fig. 12, a front elevation of the spark coil box having the circuit breaker connected thereto; Fig. 13, a fragmentary sectional view and diagram illustrating the manner of connecting the invention with the s iarking circuit; Fig. 14, a fragmentary front elevation of the circuit breaker; Fig. 15, a perspective view of the stationary contact plate; and, Fig. 16, a perspective view of the movable circuit connector or breaker; the circuit breaker illustrated in Figs. to 16 being of modified construction in detail.

Similar reference characters throughout the various figures ol the drawings designate corresponding elements or features of construction.

The apparatus herein described may be variously constructed in detail, and changes within the scope of the appended claims are contemplated, but it is preferred to employ locks requiring special keys for operating them so that the owner of each vehicle may have a s ecial ke Y whereb to o erate the lock in order to be able to operate the automobile, so that the liability of losing an auto mobile by theft would be reduced to the minimum, as it is well known that keys for certain types of locks cannot conveniently be duplicated nor be easily obtained.

Two illustrations are hereingiven of the manner in which the improved -;-.ircuit breaker may be employed, especially in connection with automobiles, and will serve to fully disclose the invention, further illustration as 'to the application of the invention being deemed unnecessary.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates thebody of an electric automobile; 1, one side of the body frame; 2, the front of the seat frame; 2, the seat on which a cushion. s usually arranged; 3, the rear or driving axle; '4 and 4 the rear or driving wheels; 5,

the electric motor; and 6, the electric battery, all of which may be variously constructed on well known principles.

The improvement comprises a suitable housing 7 which may suitably be secured to the side 1 at the front 2 of the seat frame by a bolt 8. The housing comprises a face plate 9 and other suitable members, and is arranged with the face plate approximately at the plane of the front of the seat, and suitably supported in the housing are two oppositely arranged elastic contact plates 10 and 11 arranged a short distance apart, and preferably attached to insulating pieces 12 and 12', the housing also having members 13 and 13 composed of vulcanized fiber or similar non-conducting material, but as will be understood, the whole housing may be insulated by means of the wooden parts of the vehicle body that support the housing A circuit wire 14 is suitably connected to the contact plate 11 and also is connected to the motor 5, and a circuit wire 15 is connected to the plate 10 and also to the battery 6, a circuit wire 16 being connected to the battery and to the motor. The housing preferably has a filling piece 17 that may be suitably composed of vulcanized fiber and forms a I smooth bearing for a connector 18 that is formed like a ,rod and is movable longitudinally in the housing and projects through and beyond the face plate!) so as to be accessible to the operator of the automobile. The inner end of the connector has a contact blade-19 adapted to conduct electricity and to normally engage the plates 10 and 11, for completing the circuit between the wires 14 and 15, the blade being'normally held in contact by a spring 20 that is mounted on the rod of the connector and in engagement with the housing. The rod of the connector has a shoulder 21 at its side formed by cutting a notch in the side of the rod as-a means for holding the contact blade 19 out of engagement with the plates 10 and 11v to break the circuit. In some cases, the housin comprises a collar 22 having suitable filling 23 through which the wires 14 and 15 extend as a means for preventing tampering with the wires and forming connection of the two wires exterior to the housing, the filling being com osed of any suitable material. A suitable ock case 2 1 is secured in any preferred manner to the housing and has a lockbolt 25 mounted therein adapted to enga e the shoulder 21 of the connector, the loc -will be obvious that the spring bolt being normally projected from the casing and toward the connector by means of a spring 26 so that the connector will beautomatically locked when drawnforward with the blade 19 out of contact with the plate 11 or both'plates 10 and 11. The lock mechanism is preferably of well known improved character and comprising a cylinder 27 in which is a keyway 27 to receive a-key 28 that operates movable spring-pressed pins 29 to permit of rotation of the cylinder for with drawing the lock-bolt, the cylinder carrying a suitable cam or other device 30 in engagement with the lock-bolt where-by to withdraw the latter when thecylinder is slightly rotated, the cylinder being normally. prevented from moving by means of the'pins 29 when the key is withdrawn. 7 When the lockbolt 25 is withdrawn from the shoulder 21, it

7 20 will automatically force theblade 19 into connection with the contact plates 10 and 11 to complete the electric circuit, so that the motor may be set in motion to operate the automobile. I

The contact plate 10 is shown as being longer than the opposite contact plate 11 so as to serve as a guide for the connector 19 when withdrawn from the plate 11, but it is obvious that the connector may be otherwise guided to prevent rotation thereof.

Descriptions of various features of the automobile not related directly to the invention are omitted, and it is obvious that various attachments may-be applied if desired, and the circuit breaker maybe arranged elsewhere than as above described so as to be convenient to withdraw the connector to break the circuit and to apply a key to the lock when it is desired to connect the circuit. In Figs. 10 to 16 inclusive, themodified construction illustrated is shown as preferably applied to a different type of automobile, but it is obvious that the modified construction may be applied to the electric automobile, and that the circuit breaker herein- I before described may be applied to the automobile having an explosive engine in connection with the circuit for the sparking apparatus. The numeral 31designates the body of the vehicle, 32 the dash-board and 33 the spark coil box or casing, 34 designating the vehicle frame, 35 and 35 the explosion cylinders, 36 the asolene or oil reservoir, 37 the main shaft 0 the engine, 38 a counter shaft .driven by a sprocket. chain 39 and driving sprocket chains 40 and 40 that may be connected to the driving Wheels or driving axle of the vehicle, the cylinders being provided with spark plugs 41 and 41 respectively, all of which may be of any suitable and desired construction. The spark coil is connected by a circuit wire 42 with one ofthe spark plugs, and a branch wire 42 with the other one of the spark plugs. A battery 43 is suitably supported and is connected by a circuit wire 44 with the spark coil, a circuit wire 45 connecting the battery with one of the explosion cylinders, the two cylinders being connected together. The wiring will be better understood by reference to Fig. 13, diagrammatically illustrating the arrangement, 35 indicating an explosion cylinder, 83 a spark coil, 41" a spark lu 42 a circuit wire connecting the spark p and a circuit wire 46 connecting the spark coil with a contact plate 47 that is secured to the housing 7 and has a binding screw 48 by which the wire is preferably connected thereto. A shaft 49 is mounted in the housing and extends through the face plate 9 and is adapted to be slightly rotated and may be insulated from the contact plate 47 in any referred manner, the shaft being connected by the wire 44 preferably by a binding nut 49. A contact blade 50 is suitably secured fixedly to the shaft 49 and base shoulder 51, the blade being normally in contact with the plate 47 to complete the circuit with the wires 44 and 46 and may be moved away from the plate to break the circuit by turning the shaft 49. The free end of the blade 50-is so shaped that the lock-bolt 25 when projected, may engage the extremity of the'blade, and the lock-bolt has a shoulder 25 adapted to engage the shoulder 51 when the blade 50 is moved away from the plate 47 to prevent the l larlefrom again making connection with the contact plate, the blade 50 forming in this case the movable connector. In the act of retracting the blade it forces the lock-bolt 25 backward until the shoulder 51 passes by the shoulder 25 when the lock-bolt automatically engages and locks the connector. When the lock-bolt is withdrawn by the key 28, the blade 50 being released is forced into engagement with the plate 47 by means of a spring 52 suitably mounted in' the housing and engaging the blade 50. In this modification, the housing 7 may be suitably moditied to accommodate the modified form of circuit connecting devices.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the improvements may be found desirable/te be used in many cases where safety appliances may be desired to break electrical circuits and instantly lock the circuit-breakers to prevent the circuits from being made illegally or by unauthorized persons, and various other types of connectors than those illustrated and described may be devised.

it is apparent that within the ordinary skill of electricians, electrical insulation will be applied as may be found necessary.

ln practical use, the electric circuit will normally be complete, the spring locks of course will act automatically to lock the connector when the circuit is broken, and the circuit will be instantly broken by merely ug with the spark coil,

proper key to the lock and move it slightly in order t o withdraw the lock-bolt, thus releasing the connector which will be instantly forced automatically into' connection with the contact plate or plates and again complete the electric circuit.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. An electrical circuit-breaker including two separate electrical conducting elements, a conducting connector normally connecting the two elements and movable from oneof the elements, a retractable locking device automatically acting to engage and hold the connector when disconnected from the element, and means for retracting the device from engagement with the connector.

2. An electrical circuit-breaker including two separate conducting elements, a movableconducting connector or breaker for the two elements and provided with means for automatically moving it into connection with the elements, and a lock to temporarily hold the connector to prevent its automatic move' ment to connect the two elements.

3. A safety electrical circuit-breaker in-' cluding two separate electrical conducting elements, a conducting connector normally connecting the .two elements and movable from one of the elements, a locking device to automatically act to engage and hold the connector when disconnected from the element, and means for automatically locking the device.

4. .A safety electrical circuit-breaker including two separate electrical conducting elements, a conducting connector having a shoulder and normally connecting the two elements, the connector being movable away.

from one of the elements, a spring to move the connector into connection with the elements, a lock-bolt spring-pressed into engagement with the shoulder of the connector when disconnected from the element, and means for locking the lockbolt in engagement with the shoulder.

5. A safety electrical circuit-breaker including two separate electrical conducting elements, a conducting connector having a shoulder and normally connecting the two elements, the connector being movableaway from one of the elements, a sprin to move the COIIDGCtOI IIItO connection wit 1 the elements, a lock-bolt springpressed into enga ement with the connector to automatica 1y engage the shoulder thereof when the connector is disconnected from the element, springactuated mechanism for locking the lockbolt when in engagement with the shoulder,

and a key to operate themechanisin for re- 1 leasing and retracting the lock-bolt.

6. A safety electrical circuit-breaker. in-

' eluding a housing, two electrical conducting I eluding a housing,

ing means.

elements mounted in the housing and hidden thereby, a conducting connector having a shoulder and mounted inaccessibly in the housing and normally in connection with the two elements, the connector being movable l away from one of the elements and provided with an operating device extending accessibly through the housing wall, a spring to move the connector into connection with the elements, a lock case secured in the housin a lock-bolt mounted in the lock-case and hidden in the housing to engage the shoulder of the connector when the connector is disengaged from the element, a spring normally pressing the lock-bolt to the connector, and means for retracting the lock-bolt 7. A safety electrical circuit-breaker intwo separate electrical conducting elements mounted in the housing and hidden thereby, a movable conducting connector mounted inaccessibly in the housing and provided with an operating device extending accessibly through the housing wall, means mounted inaccessibly in the housing acting to hold the connector in connection with the elements, a retractable hold ing device mounted inaccessibly in the housing and automatically acting to engage and hold the connector when disconnected from the elements, movable locking means acting to lock the holding device when holding the connector, and means for operating the lock- 8. The combination with an electrical circult, and a connector for the cn'cuit movable ically acting to engage and hold the to break the circuit, of movable means automatically acting to engage and hold the connector when moved to break the circuit,

locking means automatically acting to lock the movable means when holding'the connector, and a key for withdrawing the looking means to unlock the movable means.

9. The combination with an electrical circuit, of a connector for the circuit movable to break the circuit. and provided with means for automatically forcing the connector to connect the circuit, movable means automatconnector T when moved to break the circuit, locking means automatically acting to lock the movable means when holding the connector, and

a key for withdrawing the locking means to unlock the movable means,

10. In a safety electrical circuit-breaker, the combination of a housing, two electrical conducting elements concealed in the housing, a conducting connector comprising a blade having a rod that is movable longitu dinally in the housing, the blade being movable to make or break connection with the conducting elements, and the rod having a notch and a shoulder in the side thereof, a spring seated in the housin connector to force the blade into connection withthe conducting elements, a lock-case secured in the housing, a lock-bolt mounted movably in the lock-case, a s ring mounted in the lock-case and normal y forcing'the lock-bolt into connection with the rod of the connector to enter said notch and engage said ihrlmlder, and means for retracting the lock- In testimony whereof, we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

- WILLIAM F. WVOOI-IER.

ROBERT L. LEMON. LOUIS H. MORTSOLF. Witnesses CHARLES BROWN, E. BAUER.

and engaging the 

